Water fountains used to be everywhere, but they have slowly disappeared as public water is increasingly pushed out in favor of private control and profit, writes peter h. In two recent articles, pacific institute researchers examined how to better value urban stormwater capture and incorporate cobenefits provided by this water source. In the late 1970s, gleick writes, around 350 million gallons of bottled water were sold in the united states almost entirely sparkling mineral water and large bottles to supply office water coolers. A worldrenowned scientist and freshwater expert, gleick is a macarthur foundation genius, and according to the bbc, an environmental visionary. Gleick s work has redefined water from the realm of engineers to the world of. Readers can order a discounted copy today and join in a discussion with. Gleick gives a fascinating insight into the whole industry of bottled water living in a country with one of the best water quality worldwide you should think i dont drink bottled water at all back home. The story behind our obsession with bottled water, freshwater expert peter gleick examines the causes and consequences of favoring bottled water over tap and uncovers the marketing behind the trend. The university of arizona mel and enid zuckerman college of public health. Steven solomon in bottled and sold, peter gleick shows that most communities serve up better tap water than the bottled. Gleick,director global environment program peter h gleick book resume.
Bottled and sold the story behind our obsession with bottled water peter h. Selling bottled water, the modern medicine show by peter h. Discussion guide for bottled and sold by peter gleick. The story behind our obsession with bottled water by peter gleick. Bottled and sold explores the trajectory of water from a free natural resource to one of the most successful commercial products of the. Examines the commercialization of bottled water, discussing how the demand has been fueled by the marketing campaigns of big business and the impact that sales have had on the environment, public policy, and. Gleick covers the topic in illuminating detail, yet packages his writing with the skill and passion of a novelist. Examines the commercialization of bottled water, discussing how the demand has been fueled by the marketing campaigns of big. The story behind our obsession with bottled water gleick, peter h.
Bottled and sold whats really in our bottled water april 17, 2010 3 comments in in the circle, north america, water news by dr. The following year, gleick and the pacific institute were awarded the 2011 us water prize. In 2003 he was awarded a macarthur fellowship for his work on water resources. The story behind our obsession with bottled water by peter h. The story behind our obsession with bottled water by peter gleick washington, dc. With just a quick glance it is abundantly clear that bottled water is an issue.
Gleicks work has redefined water from the realm of engineers to the world of. Bottled and sold shows how water went from being a free natural resource to one of the most successful commercial products of the last one hundred years and why we. A worldrenowned scientist and freshwater expert, gleick is a macarthur foundation genius. And for each one consumed in the us, four more are consumed around the world. Show full abstract witness before congress and the courts, and the 2010 book bottled and sold. The story behind our obsession with bottled water, published in 2010 from island press. The story behind our obsession with bottled water by peter gleick starts out with these. Bottled water sales per person in the united states, from 1976 to 2012. Gleick gleick takes on the big business of bottled water. Peter gleick is a leading scientist, innovator, and communicator on global water and climate issues. Obsession with bottled water 2010, peter gleick offers the figures like this. A worldrenowned scientist and freshwater expert, gleick is a macarthur foundation genius, and according to.
Bottled and sold shows how water went from being a free natural resource to one of the most successful commercial products of the. Gleick born 1956 is a scientist working on issues related to the environment, economic development, and international security, with a focus on global freshwater challenges. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Recently, gleick spoke with pnas about peak water, the soft water path, and how climate change will affect our global water supply in predictable and unpredictable ways.
Gleick,director global environment program peter h gleick. I believe that bottled water is a symptom of a larger set of. A worldrenowned freshwater expert, gleick is a macarthur foundation genius, and according to the bbc, an environmental visionary. The story behind our obsession with bottled water island press, and a twentyfirst century u. The story behind our obsession with bottled water, by macarthur genius grant recipient peter gleick, confronts readers with questions like if its called arctic spring water, why is it from florida. Why you should stop drinking bottled water earth earthsky. He works at the pacific institute in oakland, california, which he cofounded in 1987.
The story behind our obsession with bottled water peter h. Publication date 2010 topics bottled water publisher washington, dc. Obsession with bottled water by peter gleick starts out with these statistics. Despite having one of the best municipal tap water systems in the world, american consumers are flocking to commercial bottled water, which costs thousands of times more per gallon. Discussion guide for bottled and sold by peter gleick discussion guide for plastic. Thats a perception encouraged by the bottled water industryeven as it relies on municipal supplies. Supported by research, including interviews and plant visits, gleick examines how water is found, pumped, bottled, treated, lied about, and sold to a relatively unsuspecting public. A worldrenowned scientist and freshwater expert, gleick is a macarthur. The story behind our obsession with bottled water article pdf available january 2010 with 3,569 reads how we measure reads. A toxic love story by susan freinkel discussion guide for marine anthropogenic litter, edited by melanie bergmann, lars gutow, and michael klages. The consumption of bottled waterfresh water sold in individual consumersized containersis growing rapidly.
Gleick is the author or editor of many scientific papers and twelve books, including the influential series the worlds water island press, bottled and sold. In 2007, the last year for which detailed global data were available, more than 200 billion liters of bottled water were sold, largely in north america and europe, but with rapidly expanding sales in many developing countries. Twenty five years ago in the united states, each american probably drank a gallon of bottled. Risks and risk perceptions related to drinking bottled water. Bottling water on a large scale is a relatively new phenomenon. As bottled water use continues to expand around the world, there is growing interest in the environmental, economical, and social implications of that use, including concerns about waste generation, proper use of groundwater, hydrologic effects on local surface and groundwater, economic costs, and more. Peter is a birdwatcher, plays bluegrass mandolin, and enjoys spending time in. Gleick gives a fascinating insight into the whole industry of bottled water living in a country with one of the best water quality worldwide you should think i. Gleick is cofounder and president emeritus of the pacific institute for studies in development, environment, and security in oakland, california. Urban stormwater is an important and undervalued alternative water supply in california.
981 1128 191 1167 1184 1362 1221 275 253 127 268 304 1259 1211 1394 447 715 116 816 1418 1500 500 209 866 1422 403 168 71 1374 1279 928 1399 130 870 511 872 197 456 943 764 931 114 93